Women of Turkey Fighting the Good Fight to Achieve Gender Equity

Turkey gave its women the gift of suffrage on December 5, 1934. Although the move took time to arrive, yet it brought with it the promise of inclusion and empowerment. It took the country another six decades to appoint a female as the country’s top leader. Tansu Çiller made history by being appointed the first female prime minister to lead Turkey in 1993.

Although it took the country a while to bring a woman to the very top of the political realm, yet that day did come. Several nations across the globe, especially the most ‘progressive’ and ‘powerful’ ones are yet to reach this milestone.

Needless to say, achieving gender balance and gender equality has been an ongoing challenge plaguing regions across the globe for decades. Middle Eastern nation, Turkey continues to face challenges in achieving true gender balance. Although the country has made some progress in recent years yet there remains a considerable distance to cover. The country ranked 129th out of 146 countries according to the World Economic Forum's 2023 Global Gender Gap Report.

Women remain underrepresented across key areas such as politics, business, and public service. Persistent barriers, including gender stereotypes, the gender pay gap, unequal distribution of unpaid work, and other structural inequalities continue to slow progress toward genuine equality.

At the same time, many determined women across Turkey are helping drive meaningful change. They are playing an increasingly important role in shaping politics, advancing business, strengthening education, and contributing to social development. Despite deep-rooted cultural and societal obstacles, numerous women have risen to influential positions.

Delve into the inspiring stories of a few such women CXOs from Turkey. Leading critical corporate functions at their respective firms, these leaders have built a solid reputation for themselves while also becoming change agents in the Turkish corporate landscape.

In this special GWL edition, meet Mirac Ucankale Yuce, CLO and Board Member, ALJ and Katerina Korchevskaya, Chief Marketing Officer, Bering Yachts. Both leaders open about their leadership journeys and take us through some of the key highlights of their career.

For insightful and inspirational stories, read the current edition of GWL magazine.

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